Make vs Do

Make is generally used when an action creates, produces, or results in something, often something physical or concrete, such as "make a cake" or "make a decision". Do is generally used for activities, tasks, and duties where the focus is on the action itself rather than a created result, such as "do homework" or "do the shopping".

This is a fixed collocation in English: mistakes are always "made", never "done", regardless of the general rule about creating things. It is one of the most common errors learners make, so it is worth memorising this specific pair directly.

"Do a favour" is a fixed expression in English, treating the favour as an activity performed for someone rather than an object created. Learners whose first language uses a single verb for both make and do often make this mistake, so it's a useful phrase to memorise as a whole chunk.

A helpful shortcut is to ask whether the action produces a specific, often physical result: if so, try make (make a meal, make money, make a plan). If the focus is on performing a task or duty without a specific created object, try do (do homework, do exercise, do business). This rule covers most cases, though some fixed expressions must simply be memorised.

Only "do business" is correct in standard English; "make business" is not a natural collocation. Business is treated as an ongoing activity or relationship, which fits the "do" pattern for tasks and activities rather than created objects.

"Make progress" is the standard collocation because progress is treated as something that builds up or is produced over time, similar to how "make money" treats money as something generated. "Do progress" is not used in standard English.

"Make an effort" is the correct collocation in English. An effort is treated as something you produce or put forward, following the same pattern as "make a decision" or "make an attempt".

Exercise is treated as an ongoing activity, which fits the "do" pattern (like "do homework" or "do sport"). An appointment is treated as something you arrange or create for a specific future time, which fits the "make" pattern (like "make a plan" or "make a phone call"). These pairings ultimately depend on fixed collocation, not just logic.

Yes, extremely useful, since make/do errors are among the most frequent mistakes at every level from A2 to C1. Learning the most common fixed collocations as whole phrases, rather than translating word by word from another language, is the most effective way to avoid these mistakes.

Start with the highest-frequency pairs: make a decision, make a mistake, do homework, and do the shopping. These appear constantly in everyday English. Once comfortable, add less obvious pairs like make an effort, do a favour, make progress, and do business.